(ROLE) CULT 4.0

[dormheads]

cult.

On Monday at 10 PM, Otome, Byleth, Luxanna, and Dimitri receive an encrypted e-mail.

d4rkness@Wiwaldi.edu

Come to classroom 1304; see attached map.

No one is in the halls as they creep to the abandoned classroom circled on the map. The normally locked door opens, revealing the room inside.

There are no windows and the lights are off, leaving the room cast in near darkness. Only a handful of candles, in what's probably a fire hazard, keep it illuminated; the fog being emitted from a personal fog machine doesn't help with visibility. What was once the teacher's desk has been pushed to the center of the room, with chairs seated around it. For some reason, there are cat decorations everywhere, mixed in with various (garish) occult items and patterns.

As of Week 3, a lamp has been added to the room to give it some light.

There is a cat-shaped bulletin board hanging on the wall, which reads:

» This world is trying to assimilate all of you, who started this year, into its setting. If it succeeds, you'll remain trapped in this school, your souls drained until you cease to exist.

» Each week, this place will make active efforts on a few select students. Once the weekend hits, they'll all be beyond saving. However, if any one of them is killed before then, they'll all be freed from the link, at least for the remainder of the week.

» Death isn't necessarily permanent. Those who died can potentially be saved. However, no such option exists for the fully assimilated.

» At the start of the week you'll be informed if you may recruit one person to join the cult. Provide a list of 4-8 people you want to recruit and you'll be told which one of them is approved. If you extend an invitation and they accept, they will join the cult the following week.

» Preventing the assimilation aside, even the original cult was meant to be a secret, so it's important that word doesn't spread. If anyone else learns about your involvement in the cult or your task, whether from your mouth or another's, this world may enact consequences. No guarantee on who they might affect, so it's up to you to decide if risking harm upon another is worth it.

As of Week 3, more notes have been added.

A summary of what the others were told previously:

» This world is forced to act according to an internal logic. It isn't always aware of everything going on, and it can't break whatever rules it wishes. This would presumably be why you all arrived here with your minds intact, rather than already assimilated; it's possible that this defence mechanism has manifested in other ways as well, to try and correct things to how they should be.

Comments

WEEK 4

[dormheads]

Chad (?) is leaning against a wall near the door.

On a desk is a thin vase of wildflowers (fresh; that is, not the same as last week's), along with a makeshift grave markers with the names of the dead.]

CHOICE: TARGET

[dormheads]

[A crystal ball on a desk reveals the names of the potential doomed this week: Alphinaud Leveilleur, Kuon Ichinose, Wang Lu. Please reply to this comment with the name of the character they will be killing before Tuesday 3pm PST/6pm EST!]

[momming]

Otome and Dimitri will be handling Wang Lu!

CHOICE: RECRUIT

[dormheads]

[Please provide a list of at least 4 people, ideally maximum 8, you want to recruit before Sunday at 1pm EST! The mods will then respond as soon as possible with the chosen recruit, at which point you may invite them with no consequence (unless they blab to someone else, of course).]

[divineimpulse]

Recruit choices are Claude, Caleb, Mandricardo, Lucretia, Taichi, Yamato, Manwol, and Sakyou!

CHAD (?)

[inaccordant]

[He's here if you have any questions.]

[momming]

[ She goes straight to him because-- ]

Hugo?

[illuminance]

[ hmm. after overhearing otome's question! ]

A pleasure to meet you, I think?

Do you know if the information in our lockers is true? That "A random person can be compelled to murder on Thursday night without any warning whatsoever."

[repress]

...Hugo?

[ hm. ]

Are you the contact the others mentioned?

[divineimpulse]

Hugo.

It's good to see you've woken up, too.

TALK TO EACH OTHER

[dormheads]

[momming]

I would... really like to avoid someone from Summer unless that's absolutely necessary. And definitely not Alphinaud.

[repress]

[ on another note, ]

Luxanna, I would be cautious. Some members of Winter dorm are quite sure you, Caleb, Yamato, or Taichi helped Byleth. And I do not think they would seriously doubt Caleb now that he is part of the dorm. We should be cautious not to leave anything that would implicate you.

[ since now that he's here, he can really see the need for deception, unfortunate as it is. ]

It was probably my item that made you look suspicious—I'm sorry.

RECRUITS

[divineimpulse]

[she gestures to the other three.]

We need to choose our list to recruit. Dimitri, choose two people you think would be a good fit for our group.

My choices are... [she hesitates, and shakes her head, emotions wavering, then suddenly set in determination.] Claude again. And Caleb.

W4, THURSDAY

[divineimpulse]

[well,

byleth has managed to take the electric kettle all the way to the cat cult classroom, and she's got a collection of teabags picked out for everyone, including Hugo if he shows.

there's some various tea cakes and cookies on a plate nearby, but mostly it's just. the murder gang here for pre-curfew teatime.]

[illuminance]

[ lux already had a lot of snacks from the picnic earlier, so she is just drinking some tea and lightly nibbling on some cookies.

and feeling anxious. ]

[repress]

[ there isn't that long to go before it's curfew time, so he's just drinking some chamomile in small sips.

he's not anxious or nervous, but there is a grim knot of emotion there. and a little concern that's directed her way. ]

...At the risk of asking something stupid, are you all right?

[divineimpulse]

[...

she emanates concern, but doesn't say anything out loud...]

[inaccordant]

[let it be known that hugo would normally not show, but it's thursday and all of you are in some level of trouble or going to be, so...

he's here! not drinking or eating anything, and despite everything, he manages to radiate a controlled sort of calm.]

[illuminance]

[ she pushes a small slice of cake towards him... ]

[repress]

[ hugo it's weirder to not participate ]

I know the atmosphere is not ideal, but at least have some tea...

[momming]

[ She didn't want to miss out on this??

I mean she still looks a bit like a mess and she might be slumped in her chair a little but.

She's here!! ]

[divineimpulse]

[hell,]

Otome, I can heal you now instead of tomorrow...

W4, FRIDAY

[momming]

[ Well.

Otome may have limped her way here but also wow she is looking (and feeling) crushed? Devastated? Supremely depressed?

All of the above!! ]

Even with everything, she still...

[illuminance]

... What a waste...

[ which would probably be an incredibly callous thing to say - as if she had wanted byleth there to be people's backup vote. but her misery should make it clear that's not all it is.

she's just - sad. deeply, deeply sad. ]